WORK IN PROGRESS LIVE

Chances are, you have probably heard about this new live release from DFA. Well, I'm glad to report that the positive reviews are not just hype. This is one of the best live CDs that I've heard from a prog group. Although I was aware of DFA's first album, "Lavori in Corso", I thought that it was a bit overrated. Sure, the compositions were quite good and the playing was sometimes jaw-dropping, but the production sounded a bit cold which ruined it for me. Anyway, DFA live is a different monster. For those of you completely unaware of the band, I would say that their music combines complex symphonic progressive rock with jazz-fusion. The compositions are busy (jump from one idea to the next in a matter of seconds), frantic, and syncopated in a GENTLE GIANT sort of way. The band consists of a guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist. Their guitarist really reminds me of the guy from DEUS EX MACHINA. He likes his jazz-chords, and plays schizo-guitar runs that add to the composition without taking the spot-light. Their keyboardist plays an assortment of new and old keyboards. I hear Hammond, and a Moog-like synth, but some sequences also feature modern ambient sounds and atmospheres. The band is really defined by the crazy interplay between the guitarist and the keyboardist. Many themes and melodies are based on one guy stating a melody, and the other guy finishing the idea. When you combine that with time-signatures galore, and fast tempos you're in for some seriously complex music. I must mention that a few compositions feature mellow sections, so there's a decent amount of variety. This CD was flawlessly recorded during the Nearfest 2000 progressive rock festival. In all, this is one of the top releases for 2001.